Instagram and TikTok Capture Most Social Growth Demand, Boostero Study Finds

Boostero’s analysis of more than 1 million anonymized orders shows demand for social media growth is concentrating on Instagram and TikTok, while buyers shift away from followers and toward views, likes, shares and saves. France also surged to become the No. 2 market in the study, behind the U.S.

Why it matters: - Boostero’s data suggests social media growth buying is shifting toward the platforms and metrics that most closely track algorithmic reach. - Brands, creators and agencies appear to be prioritizing signals tied to visibility and engagement, not raw follower counts. - The findings also show a material geographic shift, with France emerging as a fast-growing market.

What happened: - Boostero released an analysis of more than 1 million anonymized orders placed between January 2025 and June 2026. - Instagram accounted for 42% of all orders across the 18-month period, and TikTok accounted for 26%. - Together, Instagram and TikTok represented more than two thirds of demand. - Comparing the first half of 2025 with the first half of 2026, Instagram rose from 34% to 45% of orders. - TikTok rose from 26% to 31% over the same period. - Twitter/X fell from 12% to 4%. - YouTube fell from 8% to 4%. - Telegram fell from 10% to 6%. - In the same one-year comparison, Instagram and TikTok rose from 60% to 76% of all orders.

The details: - Views were the most ordered service at 42% of all orders. - Likes were next at 32%. - Followers made up just 9% of demand. - Orders for Shares and Saves nearly doubled from 5% to 10% between the first halves of 2025 and 2026. - Comments also increased over that period. - On Facebook, Likes made up 67% of orders. - On Twitter/X, Views made up 57% of orders. - On YouTube, Comments made up 26% of orders. - Instagram and TikTok both centered on Views and Likes. - Orders came from more than 25 countries. - The United States led geographically identified orders at roughly 30%. - France climbed to about 15% in the first half of 2026 from around 3% a year earlier, making France the second-largest market in the study. - Demand was strong across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia-Pacific. - The full report is available on the Boostero blog at the full report.

Between the lines: - The data points to a market that is maturing beyond vanity metrics. - Short-form video platforms now appear to dominate growth buying because they map more directly to the metrics social platforms reward. - The rise in Shares and Saves suggests buyers are optimizing for engagement depth, not just visible audience size. - The France jump hints that demand patterns can shift quickly outside the largest English-language markets.

What's next: - Boostero said any growth strategy for the year ahead has to start with short-form video and engagement-focused metrics. - The company’s broader platform footprint and international customer base suggest continued monitoring of how demand shifts across regions and networks.

The bottom line: - Social growth demand is consolidating around Instagram and TikTok, while buyers increasingly pay for engagement that can influence reach, not just followers.